23 November 2010

Hey Mom,

I got a letter from Alfredo Chandia and he might be sending music to you to put on the ipod. Is there Spanish music there? I sort of want to make this short so I can get a nap in, but I don't know if I am going to make it that far. I got sick again, but this time I took care of it right away so I am fine. But I got the rest of the apartment sick.

Hey! I am going to lose weight this transfer! My companion is a runner and the track or loop we run is very hilly. It is hard but fun. We run around the lake that is right next to our house. Could you send sweat pants with pockets and a jacket. It is kinda cold in the mornings.

There is no more real investigators this week. We baptized the people that we were teaching so we are focusing on finding. We are finding quite a lot of people. Our next baptism could be on the 25th of December! Isn't that fun!?

How's this last week been? Have you been sledding? This is T-bone's first snow, how is he taking it?

If you were a street sign, what would you say?

My new companion is crazy and loves to make sound affects.

Con amor,

Elder Dustin

p.s. He plays the t-bone (trombone)

22 November 2010

BTW you can send pictures by mail. I have done it and the came out good. Just write on the envelope that there are pictures or send them in a card.

Right when this companion of mine came in he started to change the things that we did and there is already a lot of improvement in the people that we are teaching and we have more people that we are teaching. We are following the principles that are in the PMG a lot more closely and that is what is doing it. Oh, everyone in the apartment is a musician now except Elder Tarati. Oh I almost forgot to say what the name of my new companion is. His name is Elder Lloyd. He is from the same high school and Elder Holmes. Elder Tarati has a new companion named Elder Rieske (Risky). Thanks for the picture of the dogs and he cat. She is a poser. I still need a picture of the family on a regular size photo.

That’s not fair I want to get snow here! We are playing in the branch turkey bowl it is awesome. We will be playing soccer and the closest other Spanish group is coming down and we are playing them. The books that I sent were given to us by a member that moved down to Utah and they didn't have room and I thought that it would be fun to have the books (in Spanish) after I got home. One of them is called "Grapes of wrath and we are not supposed to read it as missionaries but everyone says that it is very good. So I sent it home. I have my second companion and am learning things so much faster. We have gotten lost several times already even with a GPS. No I don't print the emails because that would cost money. I am staying pretty warm but the president told us because we are both new to this area that we need to get vest jackets to wear under the suit. They have some cool ones over at Rue 21. The young men here are all getting them from here. Hey I will be sending out Christmas cards, I will send one for the primary.

I already got the pictures from the email but I don't think they will print but I will let you know when I go to Wal-Mart. My new companion wants to learn how to cook. So we are going to be cooking a little more which is cool. My companion is diabetic and so the package that he got from his family, half for me, was full of candy.

We will be putting up our Christmas tree soon. It will be good fun. We don't have anything but lights. Oh, if there are candy canes that are spearmint can you send some. I will use them to mix my hot cocoa, and to decorate the tree because there is only lights.

They were just over at a member’s house and my companion was taking his Good bye pics with the members so I took one with the kids. This companion is from Fruit Heights UT.

16 November 2010

iHola!

We had a person named Orlando come to church for the first time. He is actually being taught by the Spanish Elders outside of our area. To be short in writing, things went so perfect there was no way that one part of it could be planned. He wants to drop the other Elder's in Springdale and be taught by us. The other Elders are going to be mad when they find out.

Out of all the areas my companion has been in, this is the one he likes the most. He also said that this has been the golden experience for me as my "birthplace". He talks with the Mission Pres. a lot and evidently most of the mission has been being tried because they have lots of zero's across the board for key indicators. Right now I have to go. Next week I should be able to write more.

Elder Dustin Swanger

15 November 2010

Gracias papi,

Well, I know for sure that I am staying here for Christmas, but I will have a new companion. My companion (current) was so mad to get the call because he only has 6 weeks until he goes home so he wanted to stay here. My new companions name is Elder Lloyd, he will be coming in on Thursday. Because Elder Holmes has been here for so long, six months, every one of the sisters wants to feed us before he leaves. We have two dinner appointments a day, but to be able to do that they have to invite a friend that is not a member over for diner too.

Yes. I have used my bike but not very much. We have to have five bike days or days that we ride our bikes as much as possible a month, so not very much. I have had several firsts this week; the first is an exchange outside of the apartment with the zone leaders and while on the exchange we went through a grave yard in the middle of dark and went to Wal-Mart on a day other than p-day and had my first MCM. We went to Sonic for the MCM. I will be spending a little money soon to get a book and the gospel library for JR for Christmas. He is excited to go on a mission so I write him and try to keep him wanting that. (Erase the last two sentences; don't put them on the blog)

Today we are going to go to my companion’s favorite restaurant and the best ice cream here to say goodbye. If you are there you can respond.

The mornings are very cold now. It is freezing almost every night. The other morning we were trying t clean the inside of our car windows for a car inspection and the water just froze to the glass immediately. The sleeves (calf compression sleeves) already came and I will tell you that they are awesome. I got them Sat. The baptismal clothes is the temple cloths. Yes, I lost them. I just need a pair of white pants and a tie. The shoes I won't need because there is no temple in the mission. I can't go to the temple until I am back home. That is fun that you might be in the YW. I will write a letter and tell you about this Sunday, because it was great!

For Val or you, my password is xxxxx and there are people that are trying to post pictures of the Branch activities and they need to be friends with me first so if you want to see my branch you will have to accept them. That’s face book. What everyone here does is have their family send a list of the people that have requested them and say who is not really their friend but you can just accept everyone.

Got to go and write the mission president. bye

Dustin Swanger

9 November 2010

Hola,

Sorry, I am not going to get to writing the primary today. I am writing this at 9:50 pm. Right off I will answer your question about the baptismal clothes, yes, that is the temple clothes. At this point it doesn't look like I will get them back.

Music for Ipod: All creatures of our God and King, the version by voice male, my comp thinks. My companion requests good Spanish music. Everything he has is very cheesy.

One of the families that we are teaching, the one that I want you to meet is the Oliva family. We help the children with their homework until everyone is there. It is usually the mom, Patricia, Leslie, Kimberly and Kayee. We teach on the front porch. Their father is the one that is being baptized. Patricia and Leslie are new converts and after Leslie's baptism William, the father really wanted/wants to be baptized. He is being baptized this Saturday, the 13th. His father is next but he learns a little slower so we will concentrate on him after William's baptism.

The other person that we are baptizing is Will Hidalgo. He is engaged to a member. He doesn't speak much English and she is learning Spanish. It is interesting, but love speaks another language. He is the person that has the perfect answers to every question that we ask. He always comprehends everything perfectly! I like teaching him for that reason. Next week I will tell you about two other investigators.

Tu Hijo,

Dustin

2 November 2010

Mi familia,

Antes no recuerdo, my calf is 16 1/2 inches. (for calf compression sleeves)

My French is useful here. Over half of the kids that are in the branch are taking it and the kids not in the branch so every one is coming up to me for help with French. It is fun.

Because J.R. is interested in going on a mission, I am getting him a referance library for missionaries. Debbies is the Far West in Arkansas.

Tell the primary thanks and I will send a letter for each primary next week. Something interesting, we are to try, if possible, to keep up our talents while here on our mission. I am wanting to write music, I want to have a Christmas CD written by my return. If it becomes a distraction I will send it all home.

I could be training after another transfer because half of the Spanish elders are leaving.

I played "Go Fish" this week with pass along cards. LOL. That was fun.

Love and care,

Dustin